Twice Removed
by sBusu
Summary: After ROR's loss at the Games, Johnny Worthington takes his anger out on the one he thinks is responsible: the new guy, Randall Boggs. As Randall's university life falls to pieces, Johnny's also begins to crumble. How will these monsters, teenagers who commonly act on impulse, deal with the problems of unfamiliar situations? (slight AU; M-rated for later chapters; Randall/Johnny)
1. Chapter 1

Hi, everyone!

Anyway, after a few weeks of lurking silently around the fandom and the release of Monsters University, I felt the need to write about it. So... this story is about my favorite pairing (which isn't really popular here), Randall and Johnny. After seeing the movie, I really resolved to try to make a relationship work between them, and because of this, this story was born.

I'm really excited about writing it, and I hope you'll be excited to read it. Reviewing would be a great help because this would be the first piece of writing in general in that I've felt confident to post on the Internet.

I'm sorry if this first chapter sounds a bit too much like a narrative without interactions if anything, so if you have something to say about it, don't hesitate to point it out. I'll try my best to make my writing more eye-catching if that's the case.

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoy writing it!

* * *

After Roar Omega Roar's embarrassing loss at the Scare Games, the once proud and boastful team silently made their way home. Everyone could sense Johnny's disappointment, anticipating an angry outburst the moment they returned, especially Randall. He sulked behind the rest of the team, expecting Johnny to release the brunt of his anger on him.

_I finally made it in. I can't blow my chance,_ Randall thought as he lingered even farther behind the group to try to create some distance between him and Johnny.

"Randall!" Johnny called angrily upon noticing Randall some feet away from the rest of Roar Omega Roar. "Don't fall behind!"

"S-sorry!" Randall shouted, dropping onto his hands to hesitantly slink towards them. Unfortunately, Randall began to fall behind again as more worrisome thoughts invaded his mind. Noticing for the second time that Randall was far behind, Johnny turned around and angrily stomped towards Randall, motioning towards the rest of Roar Omega Roar and saying, "Go on ahead. I'll catch up!" They silently complied, not wanting to further provoke the already angry Johnny.

"What was the deal back there, Boggs?! Flowers?!" Johnny stormed when the other four were out of sight. Still, there were other monsters around despite the lateness of the night, and they began to look upon Johnny Worthington, shamed leader of the supposedly best fraternity, as he screamed at the seemingly helpless Randall.

"I-I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault! It was all Sullivan!" Randall yelped, particularly saying Sullivan's name with a truly bitter grit in his voice. Johnny ignored his pleas and continued to release his rage towards him.

"How can you be a part of Roar Omega Roar if you can't even show some self-control?!" Johnny continued, attracting unwanted attention yet uncaring about the many eyes watching him and Randall. His anger made him indifferent to whoever was there. Johnny started to bring himself closer to Randall. Monsters began whispering as they looked upon Johnny and noticing his imposing attitude towards Randall, who had fallen over onto his back with true fear in his eyes as Johnny inched closer and closer towards him.

"You're out," Johnny snarled as his face was mere inches away from Randall's. Johnny held out a hand towards him and pointed to the Roar Omega Roar jacket that Randall was wearing. "Give it," he ordered sternly.

"W-what? P-please, Johnny! I—" Randall pleaded, feeling as helpless as he had felt on his first day of school. The confidence that he had gained while with Roar Omega Roar had faded, leaving Randall's original self-consciousness to reappear from underneath.

"Now!" Johnny screamed. "Oh, and by the way, don't expect to sleep back at the house. Fraternity members only. Sorry, Boggs!" Johnny said cruelly. By the time Randall reluctantly took off his jacket, a small crowd had formed nearby. Some monsters in the crowd began taking pictures on their cell phones and whispering among each other.

After Johnny had aggressively snatched the jacket out of Randall's hands, he walked away with the same furious expression he had worn all night after their unexpected loss. Randall simply sat upright on the ground, not caring anymore for what happened to him. He had risen to the top then had dropped back down. Here were two embarrassing failures: his fumble at the Games, and now this. There was nothing he could do about it.

After an hour of feeling like an empty shell, the crowd had lost interest in Randall's predicament and had dissipated as quickly as it had formed, probably to turn in for the night. Thus, with nobody around, Randall pulled himself up, totally clueless about how he would sleep that night. Could he return to his old dorm? He certainly hoped so. There would be nowhere else to sleep if wasn't allowed back in. Maybe he could see Wazowski, and the thought brought a small, fleeting smile to Randall's lips until he remembered that Mike had joined a fraternity of his own, the same one that had beaten Roar Omega Roar for a surprising victory.

_Because of me?_ Randall thought sadly as he began to walk to the general dorms. _Wait, do I even have the key to the room? No… I returned the key when I moved, and all my stuff is back home,_ he remembered, though he couldn't exactly call the Roar Omega Roar fraternity his home anymore. Johnny had kicked him out, and now he was alone. There wasn't even a roommate to keep him company anymore. Randall wallowed in his isolation and misery as he slowly redirected himself toward his old fraternity.

_What'll I do? Do I just go in and say, "Can I have my stuff?"_ Randall wondered. Would they even give his stuff back to him? There wasn't much to begin with, but a few of the things Randall had brought with him to Monsters University held at least some sentimental value. Randall sighed, hoping for the best as he neared the house. As he turned the corner and it came into view, Randall saw his belongings—a few bags and suitcases—strangely piled up in a neat stack on the sidewalk.

_I wonder who did this, _Randall of whoever did, Randall was grateful that at least someone in the fraternity had bothered to keep his things in a nice pile. This alone was enough to bring a little light to the otherwise dark and disastrous night.

Randall approached the neat stack and began to carry whatever he could. Frustrated that he'd have to make more than one trip to bring it all, Randall grabbed what he could and looked behind him towards the rest of the campus grounds. Campus grounds looked rather depressing at night, especially when there wasn't a party going on.

_There was supposed to be one tonight,_ Randall recalled before remembering Roar Omega Roar's loss. _He must've cancelled it or something because of the loss,_ Randall reasoned before beginning his trek back towards his old dorm.

"Better make it quick, Boggs!" Randall heard from behind him. Randall turned to see Johnny leaning against the open door of his fraternity house. There were no other lights on in the house, meaning that the rest of the fraternity was probably asleep.

_So… was he watching me?_ Randall wondered as he nodded towards Johnny. Whatever he was doing, Randall would be happy to get away from Roar Omega Roar. The place brought painful realizations and horrific memories to Randall. Randall walked away, trying his best to abandon any feelings of attachment to Roar Omega Roar and anything related to it. He wasn't part of this oh-so-prestigious group anymore.

_I'll just work my way back to the top,_ Randall assured himself with a desperate optimism, though he knew there was little chance for him to make it back to the top. Getting kicked out of Roar Omega Roar was a sturdy blow to the fragile reputation he had tried to make for himself at Monsters University, and Randall was sure that the damage to it was permanent.

With the fraternity house almost out of sight, Randall took one last look at the life he had ruined for himself. _No, it wasn't me. It was Sullivan,_ Randall thought with immense hostility as his eyes narrowed into a hateful glare._ I just have to keep telling myself that it was Sullivan's fault. He ruined any chance I had at finally being accepted for once._ As the last glimpse of Roar Omega Roar began to disappear out of sight, he could see Johnny disappear back into the house, leaving Randall truly alone with only his bags for company.

_Crap… I still have to make a second trip back there,_ Randall remembered as the dorms came into view. _They might not even be open,_ Randall thought. His old pessimism began to work its way back into Randall's mind, tainting almost every thought he had with hate that was mostly directed towards Sullivan. There was nothing else he could do unfortunately. He would have to either try to get back in or to sleep outside, both of which would inflict further damage on his already questionable reputation when the other monsters found out about his embarrassing situation. As the doors to the dorms stood closed in front of Randall, the lack of light inside the office on the ground floor made Randall uneasy. Just as he had feared, the office was closed, and the doors were locked.

_Damn!_ Randall thought, pulling the door handle one last time in a desperate attempt to get inside. After his futile attempt, he slumped to the ground, defeated and not knowing what to do next. _Maybe I could try Wazowski's place?_ he thought._ No… they'd never accept me after what I did to them._ _Anyway, I don't want to be anywhere near Sullivan. _Randall knew that he would be outside for the night and began to drag his fatigued body back towards the fraternity house. He might as well, considering that the rest of his stuff was back there anyway, though he could only hope that nobody had messed with it while he was away.

The tiresome walk back to the fraternity house left Randall spent, and as it came into view, Randall hunched his back and his head hung down, both in shame and fatigue. The bags that he had carried for so long had made his arms feel like jelly, and Randall resorted to dragging them on the ground regardless of any damage that occurred because of it. He looked up to check the state of the rest of his things, and much to his relief, everything seemed to be untouched, though it didn't change the fact that he'd most probably have to stay outside for the night.

_Worst. Day. Ever,_ Randall thought as he carelessly threw the bags that he was holding into the pile, ruining the orderly stack as some of them tumbled to the ground. _Well, at least there's nobody to see me like this,_ Randall reasoned, trying his best to be optimistic. _I've got to find somewhere to put these things._ Randall yawned, placing his head on one of the suitcases. _Or maybe I'll just sleep out here in the open. My life couldn't get any worse than this anyway, _Randall thought as pessimism worked its way back into his mind. He shuffled around, trying to make the best of his makeshift pillow. Remembering a blanket that he had brought with him in one of his bags, Randall searched for a particular suitcase and opened it. Inside, he found the blanket that he was looking for: a small, shameful excuse for a blanket that looked more like a weirdly large, blue napkin than an actual blanket. Regardless of the awkward appearance, Randall appreciated what little warmth it provided as the wind picked up, bringing a chill to the air around him.

With his body tucked under his large, blue napkin and his head lying on one of his suitcases, Randall was sure he'd be on the cover of the school newspaper if anybody saw him like this, just like Wazowski and the rest of his fraternity buddies had been. Maybe he'd be the next misfit on a poster.

Thinking about Wazowski filled Randall with regrets. Now that he wasn't at the top of the social hierarchy, the lack of the exclusive Roar Omega Roar life helped him realize the mistake he had made when he abandoned Wazowski for the "cool kids." Now that he was no longer a "cool kid," life was coming back to bite him hard on the tail.

"Screw karma. Screw Sullivan!" Randall yelled to himself. He snarled, pulling the blanket over his head. Unfortunately, pulling it back had left his tail exposed to the windy night, and Randall muttered a curse to himself, placing the blanket back onto his tail. _Come morning, everyone's gonna hear about what a joke I am,_ Randall thought as he tried his best to sleep in the most uncomfortable conditions.

Unfortunately, the thought of being the next joke at Monsters University kept Randall from getting any comfortable sleep. He shuffled in his sleep as a fear of a late-night patrol uncomfortably settled in his head. _What'll I do if they find me here? I'm supposed to be inside,_ Randall worried as turned on his side and tried to think of anything he could do to avoid an unfortunate run-in with any of the security guards that patrolled the grounds during the night._ They'd think I was crazy and probably expel me,_ Randall thought as unnecessary paranoia also inhibited his sensible thinking._ I can only hope that this will work._ Randall closed his eyes as he willed himself to turn invisible. Upon opening them, Randall took a peek at his arm, but it had become invisible according to his plan. _Great, now I have to keep this while I'm sleeping,_ Randall told himself. He closed his eyes and took his mind off of everything: the stress of the Games, Johnny's anger, and everything even remotely related to the unfortunate events that had taken place on this dreadful night.

Without a reasonable way to check if he was still invisible without being awake and opening his eyes to see himself, Randall desperately hoped that his invisibility stuck, doing the only thing he could find himself able to do at this point as he uneasily made his way into a deep sleep: hoping.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, everyone!

First of all, I'd like to thank everybody who read/reviewed/favorite/followed my story. I couldn't ask for a better start to this story. Honestly, I had such low expectations from the story's feedback, but after only three days, I really feel like I'm doing something right. Anyway, here's the second chapter, and I hope it lives up to your expectations. If it doesn't, please, please, please don't hesitate to tell me. I also want to use this experience to make myself a better writer. Anything that could possibly help the story would be really appreciated.

I guess writing this chapter was a bit stressful. I actually found out that a Monsters University website was set up to appear just like any other university website. They even have a map! I guess I started considering that map canon now, but I didn't put much worry into it.

Also, on a semi-related note, I'd like to know if anybody would be willing to beta for me. I thought I got all the mistakes in my story after reading it twice, but I still found some mistakes after I posted it (first paragraph too, so I really felt bad). If you're interested, just tell me, and I'll be happy to work with you!

Enjoy this chapter! Please review!

* * *

After the horrible night he had to live through, Randall woke up from a decent sleep, having temporarily escaped from his troubles. He stretched his arms and twisted his neck to loosen them up in preparation for whatever the day threw at him, but as he made a move to get up, Randall gaze fell on his arms, which were completely visible. Randall began to sweat, fearing that someone would have seen him in this humiliating position.

Fortunately, there was nobody around. In fact, he wasn't even outside anymore, and after a few quick glances around himself, Randall found himself on a couch that looked like one of Roar Omega Roar's.

_What? This has to be a dream,_ Randall thought, though he was grateful for being brought in. After multiple pinches and lots of blinking, Randall relieved any doubt in his mind that he had been dreaming. _Who, though?_ Randall asked himself. He really didn't expect any of the fraternity guys to have taken pity on him. After the Games, they had all seemed disappointed and even embarrassed to be associated with him, even Randall himself. In addition, he hadn't exactly made friends with any of them, so that made it even harder to guess. He had a vague idea as to who had been watching over him all this time, but he couldn't be sure. _First my bags… now this?_ Randall thought, though he stopped giving the situation too much thought as he got up to stretch his legs.

Randall began walking around the house and then to the front door window to see whether his bags were left outside while he had been brought in. He peered out through the blinds, squinting as the morning sun shone into his eyes and looking at the spot where his bags had been, but they weren't there. The sidewalk seemed clear of anything except for a few monsters scattered around the cul-de-sac. _I hope they brought them in and nobody took them,_ Randall thought as he continued to search for his belongings through the window.

"Bogg— Randy," called a voice from behind Randall. Randall, slightly surprised by the suddenness, quickly turned around to see Johnny, who had already seemed prepared for the day. His fur was neatly brushed and groomed, and he wore his Roar Omega Roar jacket proudly. The only thing off about him was the unfamiliar expression on his face—one of regret—though Randall couldn't be sure because he'd never seen Johnny's face like that before.

"Oh, it's you. Hey…" Randall said, greeting him but still feeling a bit bitter toward him.

"I brought you and your bags in when I saw you outside early in the morning. I was just about to leave, and the others are already getting ready," Johnny said as he pointed toward one corner of the room where Randall's bags were piled in a neat stack similar to the one he found yesterday.

"Thanks." Randall said nothing more as an awkward silence settled between the two.

"So… about yesterday. I'm sorry about that," Johnny apologized, appearing sincere, though Randall knew that he could be quite manipulative.

"O-oh, that? We're cool." Randall tried his best to sound casual, but he couldn't help but look at Johnny with slight suspicion.

"By the way, I need to ask you something," Johnny said as he took a seat on the couch.

"Go ahead."

"Okay… I'd like you to come back to Roar Omega Roar," he said.

Randall narrowed his eyes. This was definitely a bit more than suspicious. "Why? What happened to me being a shame to the ROR name?" he asked bitterly.

"I said I was sor—" Johnny said, taken by surprise by Randall's attitude.

"I heard you." Randall interrupted. "You're sorry, but I don't believe any of that crap. I'm not just gonna forgive you for what you did to me last night. If you think two puny favors like that are gonna make things all better between us, you'd better think again, Johnny!" he hissed.

Johnny stood motionless and speechless, having not expected this kind of reaction from Randall. He'd never been on the receiving end of a scolding, considering he was the one who called the shots around the university.

Randall walked toward the front door and made a move for the doorknob, but he couldn't bring himself to leave without trying to make him feel guilty even more. "Tell me why I should join your group again, Johnny. After that thing last night, I nearly fell asleep as I was walking back here from the dorms! After that, when I finally returned here, it couldn't even fall asleep because I didn't want to be seen outside like that. I tried to sleep invisibly, but I guess that didn't work if you saw me outside and brought me in, so I guess I still have no 'self-control' over myself like you said," Randall said mockingly.

After a moment to take in the entirety of Randall's rant, Johnny stood up, walked over to Randall, and took Randall's hand off the doorknob. He then motioned him towards the couch to take a seat, but Randall simply shook his hand away and stayed standing near the door.

"Look," Johnny began, at least satisfied that Randall hadn't left. "I'm really, really sorry, and I regret what I did to you yesterday. Why do you think I brought you in? If I wanted you to become MU's next laugh, I would've left you outside, but I didn't. I'm not doing this for Roar Omega Roar's sake. I'm doing this for mine. I feel guilty, Randall, and I'm sorry. Please," he said, almost begging.

It was definitely hard for Randall to refuse. He'd just been offered a second chance to salvage his life. He could forget about his embarrassing performance at the Games. It seemed like a sure decision in favor of rejoining Roar Omega Roar, but Randall also found it hard to accept. His trust in Johnny had been shaken after their incident, leaving Randall sitting on the fence as Johnny awaited his answer.

"I-I'll think about it," Randall said quickly before getting up and moving towards the door. "Just let me think for a bit, okay?"

Johnny nodded, saying, "Fine, I'll be here when you've made up your mind," but Randall had already sneaked out the door before he could hear him.

As Randall stepped outside, he breathed in the fresh air and looked toward the sunny sky. It seemed like a great day, but Randall knew that anything could happen, especially with the luck he'd had for the past few days. He walked down the street, realizing that he was alone once again. As friends talked with friends, Randall began to feel insecure, making him want to hide behind the invisibility he had learned to appreciate after his uncomfortable sleep the previous night.

_They'll think I'm a loner or something,_ he thought, carefully turning invisible to hide his presence. It was his loneliness that made Randall take note of the small amount of friends he had. Aside from Mike Wazowski—a friendship that Randall was sure he would never be able to repair—he only had the Roar Omega Roar monsters, but even then, they were more of acquaintances if anything. Sure, being in with the popular guys had its perks. He'd met lots of other monsters at the numerous parties that seemed to take place almost every night, but still, he could never call any of them his friends.

_I guess I really screwed up… but Johnny's offering me another chance, _Randall considered. Randall continued to walk undetected on the sidewalks past monster cliques and other groups. The cheerful chatter around him kept the campus's atmosphere light and carefree, but Randall could feel none of it. He only felt the fear of ridicule and rejection. As he neared the end of the street, Randall looked back towards the other end of it toward the cul-de-sac. _There really isn't anywhere to go but up from here. I guess I should just say yes, _Randall decided, sighing and turning around to walk back to the fraternity house where Johnny would—hopefully—be waiting.

Randall felt a bit giddy from the anticipation. This was another chance to have his life back, and he wouldn't let anything—or anyone, especially monsters like Sullivan—ruin the second chance he'd been offered. Unfortunately, it didn't ease his insecurities, and Randall remained hidden from sight as he walked back up the street.

Having come to his final decision, Randall found himself listening in to other conversations. They were mostly just trivial things like "What's on that scare can test?" or "Johnny? He's totes cute." Randall just ignored the gossip and meaningless chatter as he came closer and closer to the house. _Class must be starting soon,_ Randall thought, noticing the large amount of monsters walking toward the school buildings. _I hope I can catch Johnny before he leaves._ Randall dropped to all fours to quicken his pace. Still unseen, he skillfully weaved in and out of the other monsters' ways.

As the house's steps came into view, Randall saw Roar Omega Roar except for Johnny. _Did he stay behind?_ he wondered as he invisibly approached the other four. From the sound of their hushed voices, it seemed like they were trying to discuss something secretl. Their eyes constantly darted around the street, making sure that nobody was eavesdropping. Randall knew that it probably wasn't any of his business, but his curiosity drove him to linger in listening distance of them. His invisibility had proved itself to be quite a handy tool in the past few days.

"Hey, guys. Why'd Johnny stay behind?" he heard Chet ask.

"He's waiting for Randall. He says he's gonna bring him back since Sullivan refused his offer last night," Javier said in a hushed voice, though he managed to keep a casual composure. "Don't know why he'd choose him again after that thing at the Scare Games. Damn… that was embarrassing. I can't believe he's actually bringing him back. Seriously, Johnny needs to get his priorities sorted out." The others nodded in agreement.

"Well, it's not like he has much choice. We need one more guy after all," Chet suggested.

Taken by surprise by the four's gossip and secret dislike for Randall, he tripped over his leg, falling over and breaking his stealth for a moment. Chet and the others quickly turned around, afraid that someone had been listening, but they saw nothing but a near empty street. Nobody they could see was close enough to hear, but they couldn't help but keep their guard up. Luckily for Randall, he managed to reflexively blend into the asphalt when he fell face-first onto the ground. Even if it was morning, the asphalt was already a bit too warm and Randall began feeling an uncomfortable sensation wherever his face made contact with the ground.

Staying still for about a minute, Randall endured the pain until he was absolutely certain that they had left. Randall quickly released his invisibility, stood up, and dusted himself off. He rubbed his face as the heat slowly faded away.

The heat was enough to keep Randall's mind off of the surprising news he had just uncovered, but now that that was gone, Randall quickly found himself fuming.

_Damn that guy! _Randall angrily thought._ So I'm just a filler, am I? Second choice? _Randall zipped up the steps that led to the house and slammed the door open.

"Johnny!" Randall screamed. There was no response. "Johnny!" he screamed again.

"I'm here! Why are you so—" Johnny replied, walking out of the kitchen area as Randall walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar.

"I knew something was up!" Randall yelled accusingly.

"Up with what?" Johnny asked, seemingly oblivious.

"Don't screw with me again, Johnny! I heard the other four talking about what you did last night after you left me. You went and replaced me with Sullivan! Now, I hear that he refused, and here you are, asking me to come back because that cocky guy said no. So I'm your second choice? I'm done with you and your mess of a fraternity. Wazowski was right. I really shouldn't have gotten myself involved with you guys. It only ended up worse for me!"

"You're listening to that green guy again? That moron—" Johnny asked in disbelief.

"That moron was my friend before I joined you guys!" Randall interrupted. "He was the guy who got me through the first semester! I thought you guys would be the ones to get me through the second, but I guess I was wrong. You've only brought me down and thrown me away. Seriously, Johnny, why'd you even do this in the first place?" he screamed.

"I—"

Randall narrowed his eyes, waiting for an answer.

"Look, fine! Randall, if you don't want to accept my offer, just leave this goddamn place. Everything seemed better without you anyway!"

"Don't mind if I do, Johnny!" Randall snarled before walking out of the house and slamming the door.

_So far, so good,_ Randall thought sarcastically, kicking a nearby stone to vent his anger. _What a perfect way to start the day._


	3. Chapter 3

Hello, everyone!

Thanks again for the reviews/follows/favorites. It really means a lot to me and really keeps me motivated to work on the story!

This is a bit late, so I'm sorry about that. A July 4th celebration lasted the whole day, forcing me to put off the story for one day. This chapter has a few extra words in it (though it's only 500 more than previous ones), so I hope that it somewhat makes up for my late post. I really, really appreciate all the support I am getting for this story. It's much better feedback than I imagined, not only in reviews, but other numerical stats as well (follows and favorites).

Anyway, here's the third chapter. I hope you enjoy it! If there's anything off about it, don't hesitate to point it out to me. I'd really appreciate that too!

* * *

As Randall angrily stormed out of the house through Roar Omega Roar's front door, he took one last departing glance at the life he would never see again. _They were such a__ waste__ of my time,_ Randall thought, despising Johnny and the others. _Good riddance. _Although Randall felt a bit liberated, the lingering feelings of inevitable isolation and confusion came creeping back to him. _So what now? It's not like I can find a new group __to hang out with whenever I want__._ He continued to worry more and more about his social life, feeling more alone than ever.

A loud bell began to ring in the distance, signaling the beginning of class. _Oh my god!_ Randall thought worriedly. _I have to get to class!_ Randall dropped down to all fours again as he swiftly walked towards the end of the street. He slithered down the sidewalk, covering a large amount of distance that would impress any track star. Quickly closing the distance between him and the class, Randall spied a figure—maybe two, though he couldn't be sure—walking in the distance as he reached the end of the street.

Randall narrowed his eyes to focus his vision. Having stopped wearing his glasses had been a choice that Randall felt he would regret for as long as he lived without them. It seriously impaired his vision, but at least it made him look a bit scarier than without them.

S_crew it. A few more late minutes won't change much anyway,_ he thought as he began to trail whoever was in the distance. Upon getting a closer look at it, there were definitely two figures: one that looked like a circle on legs and another whose large build could only belong to one particular monster. _Wazowski and Sullivan? What are they doing skipping class? Didn't Hardscrabble let them back in because they won?_ he thought, puzzled and a bit uneasy after recalling his unpleasant experience at the Games.

_Where could they be headed? The building's that way,_ he wondered, looking back toward the building where their classes were held. As he turned away from the building to get another look at the two, Randall decided to follow the two to wherever they were headed. Hiding behind his invisibility, he continued to creep closer to the two. After coming even closer, he could see that Wazowski and Sullivan were carrying the bags that they had brought with them to the university. Wait, w_hat? Are they leaving or something? _he wondered. Of course, Randall wasn't all too sorrowful for the possibility of Sullivan's departure. In fact, he saw his leaving as a sort of mercy from above, but even if Sullivan might have been leaving, he couldn't really find the same joy in seeing Wazowski leave. He had little conflict with him except for the fact that Wazowski and Sullivan seemed to be the very best of friends. He could only regret the way he treated him.

"Crazy night, huh, big guy? That's gotta be the highlight of my college experience… one whole year of it!" Wazowski exclaimed to Sullivan, who chuckled a bit, patting the other on the back.

"You got that right, buddy," Sullivan replied, trying his best to match Wazowski's enthusiasm.

Randall, although hidden from sight, didn't dare follow too closely, not wanting to take a chance at being caught. He trailed a few feet behind, taking quick movements toward them whenever they were too far to clearly understand. As the two continued to walk through the campus grounds, Randall did his best to tune into their conversation. By now, their supposedly cheery tone had faded to one of grief and regret.

"So… what now, Mike? What are you gonna do after this?" Sullivan asked, a bit discontented. It was awfully weird for Randall to hear Sullivan with such a sullen voice. In Randall's opinion, the voice simply didn't match Sullivan's usual personality.

_Wow, did something or something? _Randall wondered, perplexed as to why the two had such depressing attitudes at a time like this. Also, where were the rest of their friends? If he had been on a happier note with the two, he wouldn't have hesitated to ask the two why they were heading toward the campus entrance, which seemed to be their destination. It would explain the bags and the depressing voices, though why they were leaving still remained a mystery to Randall.

"Huh? I guess I'll go back home, tell my mom what a great time I had at school, and other stuff. I'll tell her I met this monster of a monster," he replied, referring to Sullivan and gesturing towards his large and imposing body.

_They're definitely leaving, _Randall thought. His curiosity brought him into a dangerously close distance from the two. One misstep could reveal his position to the two, and he would have to then explain what he had been doing while he followed them. Despite his obvious dislike toward Sulley, Randall couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for the unfortunate duo.

Randall's stalking continued up until the two arrived at the gate that marked the entrance and exit of Monsters University. Wazowski and Sullivan stepped past the threshold, seeming like they'd passed into an unfamiliar place. Still invisible and staying on the other side of the gate, Randall watched the two as they turned around and stared past the gate for once last glimpse of the campus. Despite being invisible to their sight, Randall couldn't help but feel like they were staring right at him and took a quick glance at his body to make sure his invisibility was still working properly.

"Well, Sulley. I guess this is our farewell," Mike said upon seeing the bus that would take him home approach the entrance of the university, holding out a hand for Sullivan to shake.

"I guess so, Mike," Sullivan muttered. He shook Mike's hand and waved to him as he stepped onto the bus.

Randall couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy toward Sullivan. _That could've been me,_ Randall thought, imagining himself in Sullivan's place. _If only I hadn't acted like a jerk to Wazowski. I bet we could've been close like that. _Seeing their farewell moment only left Randall in a more troubled state than before, and so, he quickly turned around, leaving Mike and Sullivan to their farewells.

Randall, left with nothing to do once again, looked up toward the sky and noticed that the sun was much higher than it had been when he had begun following the two. _Is class is still going on right now?_ he wondered, though after seeing the two, he could care less about the scolding he would receive when he would see Professor Knight. _Man… I'm a mess,_ Randall thought, recalling the numerous misfortunes that he had encountered during the short span of only one night and a morning.

Randall began walking back the way he came from, trying to cheer himself up with the fact that he would probably never have to see Sullivan again, though he took Mike's departure a little more seriously. _At least if he leaves I won't have to be reminded as often about what I did,_ Randall though, trying his best to be optimistic. As he walked, Randall turned his skin into its regular color. There really wasn't anybody around to see him anyway.

The walk back to the main campus grounds seemed to take much longer than when he was trailing Wazowski and Sullivan. Perhaps it was because he had been so interested and curious in the two's situation, but Randall didn't really mind. It gave him more time to plan the next steps he would take to find himself a place to sleep. _I should go and visit the dorms today and ask for my key, and if I can't get it back…_ Randall thought, not even wanting to consider the chance that he would be denied access back to his dorm.

At the moment when Randall finally decided to go visit the office where the keys were distributed, he was close enough to his class to see the building in that it was taught. He considered going in, but Randall doubted that he would be able to take Professor Knight's ridicule, especially with all the other students around, and although he didn't have a watch or any way to tell the time, he had a hunch that class was about to end. Upon reaching the steps of the building, Randall found a nearby bench and sat down.

Randall slouched as he waited for time to pass, and with nothing in particular to do to pass the time, he found himself looking at whatever seemed the most interesting at any moment, which wasn't really anything. There wasn't anything new or exciting to look at, leaving Randall to stay slouched and unoccupied as time slowly ticked one second by one second.

He was on the verge of falling asleep from boredom, but then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Johnny, still as well-groomed as ever, entering from the end of the street. Instinctively, Randall turned invisible, again wanting to see what Johnny was up to. As he approached Johnny and got a much more clear view of his face, Randall was surprised to see that Johnny still seemed to have that less-proud-than-usual look on his face. It appeared more troubled than anything. Randall stopped a few feet away from Johnny, quickly stepping out of his way to let him through without being detected. After he passed, Randall began to tail him, having already found an ideal distance to stay from after having used his invisibility to eavesdrop and spy on Sullivan and Wazowski.

Randall felt a little guilty for not minding his own business and dreaded the consequences if he was ever caught, but even that risk couldn't stop him from doing so. There was just nothing else to do, he had nothing else to lose, and it was the only way he could interact with others without feeling as unwanted.

Johnny began heading towards the scaring class with Randall a bit behind him. _He missed it too, huh?_ Randall thought, but he wasn't surprised at all; their argument had lasted long enough to make them tardy. It seemed like Johnny had timed his arrival perfectly as the bell that signaled the end of class rang in the distance. Students began flooding out of the doors, eager to get on with the rest of their day. Winding past departing students, Randall continued to follow Johnny, whose presence was more than enough for some of the other admiring students to step out of his way to create a clear path for him to go through. Randall, amazed at how Johnny's reputation clearly had its perks and having come dangerously close to Johnny in order to not get left behind, snuck into the room after him. The door closed behind the two of them as Johnny, still unaware that Randall had been following him, walked up to Professor Knight as any good student would. Randall brought himself into listening distance and sat in the closest chair possible.

"Johnny, what a surprise! Could you explain why you weren't in class today?" Professor Knight asked, a little annoyed at his tardiness.

"Erm… something held me up before I could get here," Johnny explained a bit uneasily.

"No matter, you know what you'll need to do. I will be expecting you over here on the weekend. As a future scarer, you need to have responsibility, and you can't be skipping class like that," Professor Knight said matter-of-factly.

_Crap! Does that mean I have to do that too? _Randall thought worriedly. The fact that he could potentially be alone in class with Johnny made him more than uneasy and provoked an unpleasant feeling from his gut.

"Yes, sir. Don't worry about me." Johnny said.

"Good. You're free to go."

"Thank you, sir," Johnny said as he walked back up the steps and out through the door.

Knowing that he would have to talk to Professor Knight sooner or later about his own absence, Randall broke his invisibility, walked over to him, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Aiie!" Professor Knight screeched and quickly turned around, startled. "Oh, it's you, Randall. Don't sneak up on me like that. Say… when'd you come in here?"

Not wanting to say he had snuck in and had been eavesdropping, Randall simply said that he had walked in at the exact moment when Johnny had left.

"Ahh, I see," Professor Knight said, though he eyed Randall with slight suspicion. "I assume Johnny told you about the procedures for absent students as he passed you by?"

"N-no sir, we didn't talk," Randall said, having difficulty keeping a calm composure and trying his best to make his lie believable.

"Well then, I guess I'll have to explain it to you too. Anyway, for absent students like yourself, you will have to make up the class. I believe you and Johnny were the only two to miss it,"

Randall gulped as his fear soon became an impending reality.

"S-sure! I'll be there, Professor Knight… at what time?" Randall asked.

"Same time when class usually is. I'll be here waiting for the both of you. I expect the both of you to come prepared and ready to go."

"Yes, sir. I-is that all you needed from me?" Randall asked.

"Yes. My, aren't you quite the stutterer today?" Professor Knight pointed out, noting Randall's uneasiness.

"Sorry… I ugh… I was a bit shaken up a bit today," Randall explained.

"Well, take it easy, okay?" Professor Knight suggested, though it did little to calm Randall as he dreaded the day when he would have to be alone in the same classroom with Johnny.

"I will, thanks," Randall said quickly before zipping through the classroom door as worrisome thoughts of the tensions between him and Johnny continued to take a toll on his mentality.

Randall walked down the steps and sat himself back on the bench he had been sitting on earlier. There was just too much going on. First, Sullivan and Wazowski leave without so much as an announcement to anyone. He would have expected a crowd or two to wave them off, but it seemed like they were leaving in secret or something similar. People would eventually notice the two's disappearance, but by then, it really wouldn't matter. Second, Randall's scheduled make-up class was sure to be a thrill. Another opportunity to meet Johnny again face to face brought chills to Randall, though they were brought out more by Randall's hatred for Johnny than by his fear.

He honestly just didn't want to see him ever again, though he knew that it would be practically impossible to avoid one-hundred percent separation between him and Johnny.

_Hopefully Saturday's the last time I'll ever have to be alone with him, _Randall thought as he began to walk to his next class. The grounds were almost empty once again, and Randall knew that he would be late again for the second class of the day.

_Perfect._


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, everyone!

I'm really, really sorry for the late update! Lots of things have been happening-bad things, good things (finally got Pokémon Black, yay), and weird things. Sometimes I just felt a bit too lazy to write too, so that also explains the delay in the update. Again, I'm terribly sorry about that, and I hope that the chapter satisfies you. If not, tell me! I feel a bit iffy about this chapter, but I don't know why. Regardless, thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! It really means a lot to me! Thanks!

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Tardy for the second class of the day, Randall sighed, hoping that the scaring class's attendance policy wouldn't apply to his other classes as well. Fortunately, the teacher of his second class, who seemed to be a bit more lenient and forgiving than Professor Knight, excused Randall from having to attend any sort of make-up session. He'd just have to complete the missed work and turn it in later. It was still a hassle, but it was better than having to attend a second class on the weekend. One class on the weekend was tolerable. One class on the weekend with the monster that he both despised and feared, however, was more than uncomfortable. He grumbled to himself, dreading the days to come.

The next few days were rather uneventful for Randall compared to the night of the Scare Games and the morning after, and thankfully, the dorm management did allow him to return to his dorm, though it seemed like an act of sympathy than anything else. By the way the guy in charge of the keys acted when he handed Randall his old key, Randall thought that allowing students to return was prohibited or at least frowned upon. Randall was simply grateful that he could have a place to sleep, and although he did not have a roommate anymore—he recalled Mike's departure with grief—it was better than having to spend the rest of his school nights with Roar Omega Roar.

He spent the rest of his days lolling around then aimlessly doing whatever came to mind. With nobody to interact with, Randall found himself doing practically everything alone. Eating lunch inside, spending free time inside, and figuratively caging himself in his room became habit to Randall. The loneliness and isolation were definitely a burden he would have to bear for his terrible mistake.

Unfortunately, to add more stress to Randall's already strained life, when the weekend finally came and the time for Randall's class with Johnny arrived, Randall couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the entire situation. He had even secretly wished that something bad would happen to him along the way to prevent him from attending class as he crawled out of bed to get ready for the morning. Saturday was supposed to be a day of relaxation and fun, but even if he didn't have any class to make up for, Randall doubted that his own Saturday would be worth spending time on when he had nobody to share it with. Make-up class would have to be the highlight of Randall's weekend, even if it was more negative than positive.

Getting up for the day and preparing himself for his class, Randall took a quick shower to freshen himself up. He headed toward the dorm exit with one of his textbooks in hand. As he walked outside and made his way to class, he received a few confused looks that wondered what a student was doing with a school textbook on a fine Saturday morning. Randall tried his best to avoid eye contact, though he couldn't help but blush in embarrassment as he walked through the monsters. He clutched the books between his arm and body, feeling more self-conscious than ever before. He wanted to turn invisible as soon as possible, but he even felt uncomfortable turning invisible in front of such a crowd. They'd definitely start judging him if he disappeared from sight in front of their eyes.

Randall quickened his pace as he began walking to class. One upside about his transfer from the Roar Omega Roar fraternity was that he now lived a bit closer to his class than Roar Omega Roar's house. It wasn't a big plus, but at least it was something.

After a few more minutes of walking, Randall saw an opportunity to turn himself invisible. The crowd that had been watching him when he exited the dorms was now behind him, and there was nobody else around. Cursing his insecurity, Randall quickly blended into the surroundings and continued walking toward class. _When did I become this pitiful? _ Randall thought to himself, despising how low his self-confidence had fallen. For every invisible step he took past cheery crowds of teenage monsters, Randall hated himself more for having put himself in such a shameful position. Even blaming Sullivan seemed to mean less and less as time went by.

Upon reaching the steps of the building where the class was to be held, Randall stopped and wondered if Johnny was already inside or still on his way. Randall turned around toward the street that led from the fraternity houses and searched the path from the end of the street to the building, but he couldn't see Johnny or any sign of the other Roar Omega Roar members.

_Maybe he's already inside,_ Randall thought, hesitantly walking over to the large doors and pulling tightly on their handles. The doors opened, and Randall stepped inside, quickly searching for any sign of Johnny and Professor Knight. Professor Knight was an easy find. His orange scales were easy to see in the slightly darkened room, and he was standing right in the center of the building with his face toward the chalkboard, which had all sorts of scribble-scrabbles about scaring and its mechanics.

"Do you think Randall will be here today, Johnny?" Randall heard Professor Knight ask with his head still facing the board.

"I don't really know, sir. I haven't been in touch with him for a while now," he heard Johnny reply.

Randall, a bit confused about why they hadn't noticed his entrance, saw that he still hadn't become himself visible after having used his invisibility to hide himself from the judgmental eyes of the others on his way to the class. He quickly revealed himself and called to Professor Knight in a hesitant voice, not wanting to startle Professor Knight a second time.

"P-Professor Knight!" Randall's stuttering had slipped through again because of Johnny's presence, though it did manage to grab Professor Knight's attention as he turned away from the scrawls on the board.

"Ah, hello, Randall! You came just in time. I just started a while ago. Wouldn't want Johnny here alone in a lecture, would we?" Professor Knight joked, still oblivious to the tensions between the two. He gestured toward the seats and turned back around to face his board once again.

Randall looked over to the spot where Professor Knight had motioned to and saw Johnny, whose head was turned around to get a look at Randall. Although Randall almost immediately turned away to avoid eye contact, he thought for sure that he saw Johnny crack a small smile—or at least tried to. Randall, still not trusting him, only kept his back turned toward him to avoid any chance of instigating something fierce between them. Randall wished to keep his social life and his academic life separate, especially with everything that had gone wrong so far for him. It was one of the only other things that he couldn't afford to screw up.

Disappointed, though Randall couldn't be sure since he didn't want to take a direct look at him, Johnny slowly turned around and continued to listen to Professor Knight, who had continued on with his lecture.

"Oh, yes! Randall, I suggest that you sit right next to Johnny so he can give you some of the notes that you missed in the first few minutes at least," Professor Knight said with his back still turned toward the two.

"A-are you sure, Professor?" Randall asked, desperately hoping that he would change his mind.

"Why wouldn't I be, Randall? You're still acting weird today," Professor Knight pointed out.

"No, no, I'm fine!" Randall insisted.

"Then I want you to sit next to Johnny to catch up on what you missed."

_Is he serious? Does he want me to blow up in his face or something? Maybe the other way around?_ Randall thought angrily, turning to face Johnny for a brief second but keeping his head down to avoid eye contact. Randall could sense that Johnny needed to say something to him, but he would have none of it. Johnny had already disappointed him twice, and a third time would definitely hurt no less.

Taking a seat right next to Johnny as instructed, Randall pulled out a piece of paper from the notebook that he had brought with him. After having placed the notebook down onto the ground, Randall spied a piece of notebook paper on the little desk in front of him. It was no doubt Johnny's and was almost totally filled with notes of his own and of the art of scaring.

Professor Knight seemed to have gone over a lot in such a short time judging by the amount of words and pencil markings on the paper. Frustrated, Randall began to transfer the information from Johnny's paper to his own, paraphrasing the already shortened notes to catch up as quickly as he could.

_I guess I'll start from the top and work my way down,_ Randall thought, strategically planning how he would manage to copy the notes and still listen to Professor Knight's ongoing lecture all at the same time.

Randall began his work, placing bullets and lists and charts all over his paper in a jumbled mess of graphite. Although it wasn't the most organized piece of work, he knew it would have to suffice. Professor Knight had already introduced new heaps of information in the time that it took Randall to copy Johnny's paper. Having almost reached the end, Randall scanned the rest of what he'd have to copy. There were notes, notes, and more notes, which frustrated Randall even more and slowed him down. Much to Randall's interest, however, as he reached the bottom of the page, he saw an interesting note in the corner of the paper.

It read: I'm sorry!

_Yeah right,_ Randall thought, almost voicing it out loud, and even though he managed to keep his thoughts to himself, it didn't prevent him from angrily crushing the paper in his hands to make a small ball that ended up on the ground near Johnny. Realizing he just damaged Johnny's own scaring notes, Randall instantly felt a bit guilty, much to his despair.

"Is everything all right back there, Mr. Boggs?" Professor Knight called. This time he sounded much more serious than before, especially by the way that he addressed Randall, which spooked him a bit and further added to the stress he was feeling at the time.

"Y-yes, sir. I… just… was crumpling some old notes from last semester!" Randall lied.

"Destroying notes from last semester? I suggest against it. We still have final exams for the second semester, and this test will cover everything we have studied throughout the year. Now unfold that paper and keep it safe," Professor Knight said sternly.

Randall reluctantly followed his orders, cursing Johnny for causing him to react like that, though Randall knew that he was mostly at fault for overreacting at such a small thing, especially since it was an apology. Heartfelt apology or not, Randall couldn't help but feel a bit of remorse for how he had just acted. Daring to take one look at him, Randall bent down to grab the paper he had thrown toward the ground as he lifted his head to take a look at Johnny.

As the two made eye contact, Randall couldn't help but notice that Johnny seemed a little less proud, though it wasn't as clear from a casual glance. Johnny mouthed, "Sorry," which received a nod from Randall, though his face remained the same.

Getting back up from picking up Johnny's notes, Randall carefully laid it on his own desk and began to smooth out the wrinkles that covered the paper. After having finished that, he quickly placed the paper back on Johnny's desk, only to see that there were more note-filled papers that he would have to copy. It seemed like Professor Knight had gone over much more while Randall had been occupied, eliciting an audible sigh from Randall.

"What was that, Mr. Boggs?" Professor Knight snapped, seeming more annoyed than anything at the constant interruptions.

Still too stressed to think of much of an excuse to give to Professor Knight, Randall remained silent.

"His pen stopped working, sir," Johnny said, noticing Randall's predicament.

At that, Randall looked upon Johnny curiously with a face of disbelief and suspicion as Professor Knight walked over to the two boys with a suspicious look of his own.

"Well, lend him a pen!" Professor Knight commanded, prompting Johnny to grab an extra pen off his desk to give to Randall. Randall slowly took the pen from his hand, still eyeing Johnny carefully in case this was another one of his deceptions.

Again, Johnny mouthed, "Sorry," though Randall did his best to ignore it.

"Perfect. Now… can we resume with my class?" Professor Knight asked.

The two nodded silently as they turned their attention to the board in front of them to copy down the rest of the notes. Randall, still having been behind on his own note-taking, swiftly scrawled a barely legible copy of the notes on the pieces of paper that he had messily arranged around his desk. After reviewing these notes, even Randall had a difficult time deciphering what exactly he had written. However, he knew they would also have to suffice, considering the rate at which Professor Knight was teaching. Randall noticed the speed at which he was teaching and noted that it was quite odd. Professor Knight didn't usually teach this quickly before, and after doing some more thinking instead of some note-copying, Randall was sure that Professor Knight didn't want to be in class teaching on a beautiful Saturday morning just as much as he didn't.

Whatever the reason, it didn't stop Professor Knight's speedy lessons. Randall found himself further behind once again after thinking about the current situation for too long and rushed to catch up, severely shortening the content of the notes on the board. After having finally caught up with Professor Knight's notes, Randall's mind began to wander despite the intensity of the note-taking. _How long have we been in here?_ Randall wondered, glancing toward Johnny, who was still writing something down but seemed to be as bored as he did.

With Professor Knight facing away from him, Randall placed his head on the desk, knowing that he'd have a bunch of notes to copy down once he lifted his head back up. He brushed the thought away, however, finding some time to rest for a short while after the recent hectic events.

"I believe that is the end of today's lesson!" Randall heard, lifting his head at the sound of his teacher's loud voice. Randall feared that he had seen him dozing off, but Professor Knight did nothing but begin walking out the door, eager to leave the classroom that he was bound to for five days a week.

_Finally,_ Randall thought as he gathered the jumbled stack of papers that were his notes and stood up from his seat to leave the class as well. He didn't even bother copying the remainder of the notes that still lay on the chalkboard. _It's finally over!_

But it was far from over as Randall felt a slight tap on his shoulder.


End file.
